Do I Know You?
by Panhead17
Summary: Petty thief and criminal Bixlow considers himself a "self-made man," and is well aware of how to avoid capture. After meeting one of the Sultan's in-laws, he's smitten, but when a shadowy group of villains plot to take the throne by force, Bixlow is forced to make some unorthodox decisions to help her. Bixanna, some Jerza, and implied Miraxus.
1. Chapter 1

**Do I Know You?**

**Summary: Petty thief and criminal Bixlow considers himself a "self-made man," and is well aware of how to avoid capture. After meeting one of the Sultan's in-laws, he's smitten, but when a shadowy group of villains plot to take the throne by force, Bixlow is forced to make some unorthodox decisions to help her. Bixanna, some Jerza, and implied Miraxus.**

**Author's Note: So, I finally got around to actually starting this project… anyway, this is my most marvelous Turkish/Ottoman/Arabic kinda AU idea, and basically, Magnolia is the capital of the Fioread Empire, Makarov is the Sultan, and his son Laxus is married to Mirajane, making the Strauss siblings royalty. Everything else will be explained within, hopefully.**

**Chapter 1: City of Secrets**

Bixlow vaulted over the narrow street below him and landed gracefully on the next building over. He was nearing his objective: the thriving upper ring market district, chock full of fat merchants and their equally fat stalls and wallets. Given he was successful, he'd be eating well for weeks.

You see, Bixlow was a thief. He preferred to call himself a "goods relocation specialist," but that was just him. He was a famous thief, in fact, one of the most wanted in all of Magnolia. As a matter of fact, he should continue moving, he thought, lest the fearsome Erza Scarlet, captain of the city guard and the woman who had declared him her personal nemesis.

Bixlow shuddered a little: that woman terrified him. But that wasn't his primary concern right now. He was more concerned with the rather flashy looking set of diamond earrings that had caught his eye at one table. Not only that, but a matching set of necklaces, bracelets, and even a tiara lay next to them, and he craftily perceived their value at upwards of 700,000 jewels. Quite the score.

The man stood up fully and adjusted his headgear. He preferred to keep his eyes covered, wearing a visor atop a more traditional headscarf. It helped him blend in with the lower class farmers from the lower districts, and while that stood out a bit in this upper echelon, he was confident enough in his abilities to evade detection.

He walked swiftly past the table, years of experience guiding him as he discreetly palmed the earrings. He stopped and turned towards the stall across the street, and carefully slid several more expensive jewelry pieces off the table into his waiting, concealed pouch.

After about twenty seconds, he quickly yet nonchalantly strolled away from the table, the overweight owner none the wiser. At least, not until he looked down at his table.

"Yardım! (**That's "help" in Turkish, for future reference**). I've been robbed!"

"Kahretsin!" (**This is a very generic Turkish curse, and will be used often cuz I like swearing**) Bixlow cursed, as he was still within twenty feet of the stall and his mask only added to his suspicious character. His mood soured even further when he saw who had responded to the shopkeeper's cries.

"Well if it isn't the dynamic duo themselves." He muttered, turning and breaking into a sprint away from the redheaded captain and her ever-present lieutenant. When Erza spotted his distinctive lanky figure pushing through the marketplace, she instantly gave pursuit, closely followed by her partner, Jellal.

"Bixlow!" she cried out threateningly, prompting the man in question to quickly scramble up to the rooftops.

"Have fun trying to catch me! It'd be a first!" He returned tauntingly, turning to sprint across the rooftops, leaving a cursing Erza and an exasperated Jellal in his wake. After leaping across a few more buildings, Bixlow checked behind him and was surprised to find the pair gaining on him: he had clearly underestimated the redhead's tenacity: usually a fatal error.

Her stubbornness was legendary: she was the first woman to successfully pass the Guard's infamous training regimen and physical tests, and had quickly surpassed most of her coworkers to become lieutenant and later, captain. She was an inspiration to everyone in the city, and her promotion had prompted dozens of women, and hundreds more men to join the nation's military. The one-woman revolution, they had called her, and now she was pissed off. At him.

He cursed slightly and decided on a slightly riskier route—a massive 15 foot leap down to the window of a minaret on the western edge of the Sultan's palace. Bracing himself, he ran off the edge and just barely managed to catch the window sill and pull himself inside.

He watched with some amusement as Erza stumbled to a stop on the rooftop's edge, Jellal jogging up behind her. She grimaced and prepared to take the leap when the blunette grabbed her arm.

"Erza- Captain! Stop! You'll get yourself killed!"

"Listen to your boyfriend, Captain!" Bixlow called back to them, causing them both to color deeply. Their relationship was… complicated, to say the least, and Bixlow just loved poking fun at it. "Wouldn't want your pretty little self smeared all over the street!" With that, Bixlow turned and sprinted down the spiraling staircase. Just because Erza couldn't reach him herself didn't mean she couldn't call down the full fury of the city guard upon him when he reached street level.

He reached the bottom and kicked out the door separating him from the packed city square. He was just in time: as soon as he entered the teeming throng, the bell in the central temple sounded, announcing the arrival of high noon, and giving the crowd pause. Tradition dictated that citizens pay homage to each of their three great deities at this hour: Mavis, the legendary child emperor and founder of the empire, Orion, the King of the Cosmos, and of course, the Sultan Makarov, God-Upon-Earth.

The entire crowd dropped to their knees for the brief, two minute prayer, giving Bixlow time to duck into an alcove and remove his head scarf. He quickly swapped it for another of a different color, covering his rather distinctive dark blue hair, and slid a different visor over the gap it left on his face.

He slid out of the alcove, dropping to his knees for the remainder of the prayer before rising with the crowd and continuing to mingle. If Erza had sicced the guard on him, they wouldn't be able to recognize him now. He grinned under his headscarf and continued towards his safe house in the lower ring. He had successfully pulled off another heist, right under the redhead's nose, no less, and his getaway was practically spotless.

It was looking to be a good damn day.

**Well, I hope you enjoy this. I based this whole city on Istanbul and Mecca basically, and with the daily prayer being a Muslim tradition and staple in these cities, put my own twist on it. Hope no one finds that offensive… lemme know if it does, I'll change it. **

**And yes, I know Lisanna didn't make an appearance, I promise it'll happen. I wanna really develop the Jerza stuff too, so…**

**Basically, Jellal is like, madly in love with Erza, but she's his superior officer and really doesn't notice it, so Bixlow enjoys poking fun at them for it. Oughta be fun to develop. But I promised Bixanna, and of course, will deliver. Check out my other stories as well, all you Bixanna and Mystwalker fans out there. Peace yo. Panhead out.**


	2. A Bit of Help

**Author's Note: Welp, I had some free time after my calc exam (God, was **_**that**_** brutal) so have another chapter! I'm soo sorry for not updating, AP exams and all that bullcrap… but I'm back now! Hopefully in this one, I'll actually introduce the other main character! And if you're good, I'll throw in more Jerza antics!**

**Chapter 2: A Bit of Help**

Bixlow was pretty happy with his haul; it had pulled him even more cash than he'd thought, and he was living comfortably in his small apartment. At least, until he started getting the urge to go steal something again.

"Maybe I'm a kleptomaniac." He thought, though that wouldn't surprise him. He shrugged the idea off and headed out to case another stall. He decided to steer clear of the upper ring markets, as Erza was probably still stalking around there with her lovestruck lapdog.

Bixlow grinned, picturing a blue haired puppy eagerly following the captain around as she smashed through the marketplace. It was a fairly entertaining image, albeit a bit unconventional. Oh well, artistic license, he thought. Though he'd be sure to make a joke about it next time he saw the pair.

He clamber onto the roof of his small apartment, which lay only a few miles from all of the major market bazaars. He began free running across the rooftops, leaping over gaps and clambering up and around any obstacles in his way.

He quickly reached his objective, a different, slightly lower tier market that just so happened to lie in the shadow of the Sultan's palace. Dangerous, risky, and almost certainly well guarded? Yes, but it was also home to some of the richest vendors in the city, and Bixlow just couldn't resist. He slipped into the crowded bazaar and set to work.

He quickly located a fairly loaded stall with a less-than-attentive vendor. He walked past and slyly slipped a rather ornate ring off the table as he kept strolling deeper into the market. That was his game today; no big, one stall job, but rather a serious of basically pickpocketings until he had gathered a sufficient amount.

This continued for the next ten minutes or so, after which the man had gathered up well over 100,000 jewels worth of merchandise, and not a single person had noticed his thefts yet. But that's when everything went to crap. Bixlow turned a corner and literally ran directly into Captain Scarlet herself, the ever-present Jellal right besides her.

Despite his predicament, Bixlow couldn't help but crack a smile, thinking back to his dog image. He quickly muttered an apology and stalked away, hoping Erza wouldn't recognize him.

It took her a few seconds, but, unfortunately, she did. She returned the apology and took a few steps forward before freezing, analyzing what had just happened.

"Bixlow!" She turned and charged the man, who quickly leapt through a stall to get away and took off sprinting down the narrow alleyways, the two guards in hot pursuit. Cursing, he clambered atop a single story building and shot away, trying to lose the pair. He was well aware that his proximity to the palace meant more guards than usual, and he needed to get out of the public eye. He turned a corner and found himself next to an open balcony door, which he promptly dove through.

The instant he was inside, he slid around and corner and sat in absolute silence. He heard Erza and Jellal approach, still searching.

"Erza, I think we may have lost-"

"Shut UP Jellal, you think I don't know that!? He must have ducked into one of these windows… we'll just have to ask every resident of this building if he's hiding there!"

"Erza, this is the palace, the residents of this building are the royal family…"

"Well, we'll ask them anyway! C'mon!" Erza grabbed the man by his shoulder and yanked him away behind her. Bixlow almost laughed aloud, but clapped his hand over his mouth and held it in.

He stood slowly and surveyed the room. It appeared empty at the moment, with a large bed against the wall opposite a dresser and a simply enormous mirror. The bedroom was larger than Bixlow's entire apartment, and there seemed to be several doors to other rooms around him. He let out a low whistle, impressed at the room's opulent luxury.

"Someone's got a real fancy place here… I'm sure they won't mind if I take a peek around…"

He strode to one of the random doors on the wall and pulled it open gently, slipping into the room beyond. It appeared to be a bathroom of sorts, but that was all he had time to observe before he was interrupted by a shrill scream.

Bixlow spun around to find that he had apparently rudely interrupted the resident's bathing process. She was stark naked in the tub, and appeared to be quite distressed, though that wasn't surprising.

"Who the hell are you?! Why are you here?!"

Bixlow calmly appraised the scene before him, well aware that this girl would definitely have to shut up, lest she alert Erza. Didn't mean he couldn't admire her though; she was fairly attractive, with short white hair and large eyes that spoke of an almost impish nature.

"Shhh… I'm not gonna do anything to ya, I just need to hide from Erza for a minute. Just keep quiet and I'll be out of your hair."

"Oh, right, like that's the truth. I know who you are now, you're that thief that's been giving the guard all that trouble lately! How do I know you won't…" She flushed red and glanced down at herself. "Well, you know."

Bixlow stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Never do that, babe, hate those freaks. Now just calm down and I'll be going…"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Lady Lisanna, please open the door! There may be a criminal in there!" Bixlow flinched at Erza's voice and shot a glance at the woman—Lisanna, clearly, the Sultan's granddaughter-in-law—silently begging her not to rat him out. She responded with an eye roll but seemed to relent.

"Turn around, I have to get out."

Bixlow obeyed and heard her clamber out of the tub and fetch a robe. Lisanna walked to the door and opened it, facing the impatient and slightly concerned Erza. Bixlow tiptoed closer to a window, ready to bolt if this went bad.

"What's up Erza?"

"There's a wanted criminal on the loose in the palace complex, and he may have hidden in someone's rooms. Is there anyone in there with you?"

Lisanna gasped in surprise, and Bixlow was fairly impressed at her acting skills. "A criminal, here? Mavis… well, I'll check, but I think I would have heard him if he were hear."

Erza nodded. "Well let me know if you run into him. He has bright blue hair, a facial tattoo, and is usually wearing a mask or visor." She turned to walk away, but hesitated. "Lisanna… could we… talk later? About… y'know." This caught Bixlow's attention. What could the redhead warrior possibly have to talk about with the blond noble? But Lisanna responded as if it were an old habit.

"Sure, just come back here once your shift is over, I'll be here." Lisanna shut the door and breathed out heavily. "She's gone." She called back. Bixlow slunk into the room, still surprised she had actually covered for him.

"I guess I should say thank you… but why'd you do that? You could've turned me in without a second thought, but you didn't."

Lisanna turned around stuck out her tongue at him. "I don't know, actually, I should've just let Erza tear you a new asshole for breaking into my room."

Bixlow responded by sticking out his own, much more impressive tongue. "Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad you didn't. I'll get out of your hair now." The thief strode back over to the window he had entered from and clambered to the sill. "See ya around babe!" He called before leaping out the window and disappearing into the night.

Lisanna watched him go, slightly confused. She wasn't quite sure why she'd helped him, honestly, though he was fairly attractive… maybe that was part of it…

She shuddered a little. Why was she thinking like that? She shook off the feeling. It wasn't like she'd ever see him again anyway…

She shrugged it off. Erza would be returning to her room in a few minutes, doubtless with more questions about her…predicament. Lisanna quickly went to grab some actual clothing and sat down on her couch to wait. _It's gonna be a long night…_

**Ok, I now this is a little disjointed, but I stopped and started writing it, like, 7 times. Sorry about the ridiculous wait!**


	3. Coincidence?

**Author's Note: Wow, it's been a while. I'm sorry, I've been like, really busy gahhh sorrryyyyyyyy. I've had terrible writer's block too, oh my god… oh well, hope this isn't shit for y'all**

**(btw, we'll get back to Lis and Erza's little chats, just not now)**

**Chapter 3: Coincidence?**

Several days had passed since Bixlow's…adventure.

He had decided to lay low for a bit, as that had been his closest call in a long time. That woman was really starting to get on hi nerves, to be honest…

Oh well. He shrugged. He'd dealt with worse opponents, and less attractive ones. He could handle Captain Scarlet all on his lonesome, thank you very much, and he totally wasn't saying that because he'd needed to be saved last time he'd run into her.

Anyway, today was the day. He'd promised himself he'd wait at least three days before he fenced his ill-gotten goods, and now he was heading out to find his usual dealer. With a groan, Bixlow cracked his back and set off across the rooftops towards a less reputable area of town.

With a grunt, he slid down off a low roof top into a shadowy market district. Laying on the outskirts of the walled city, it was commonly known to be the city's chief black market, and Bixlow's home turf when it came to trading.

He slunk through the city streets, glancing around to find the man he was looking for. It took him a few minutes, and he had to fight off more than one comparatively unskilled pickpocket, but he found the man he was looking for.

"Eyy, Cobra, what's going on?" he shot the man a greeting, rapping on the table he had set up.

The man shot him a toothy grin. "I was wondering where you got too, ya bastard, whaddya got for me now?"

(**Yes, I totally made Cobra a black market fence, it fits his sketchy-yet-awesome character**)

"Not much…" Bixlow replied slyly as he slid a pouch across the table. Cobra discreetly checked out the contents and let out a low whistle.

"Just some trinkets, really? These are pretty nice, I'd say… 750?"

"750? Man, those rings alone is worth 750, I want at least 900 for the package." Bixlow scoffed. This haggling was a part of their ritual as well. They'd both wind up compromising on a price that no one liked, but no one really hated.

"900?! Are you insane, does it look like I'm _made_ out of money?!" Cobra hissed back, feigning irritation. "I'll give you 800, tops."

"Make it 825 and we can deal."

Cobra snorted and extended his hand. "You always get what you want, don't you?"

"Always." Bixlow smirked and shook the offered hand. He pushed the pouch across the table and accepted his money before turning to fade into the streets. Cobra's stand was interesting alright, but he really had no need for the poisons and potions it offered.

He began to make his way through the narrow streets again, careful to keep one hand on the pouch of jewels Cobra had given him. He may have been the best thief in the country, but if his attention lapsed for only a second that multiple hundred thousand jewels could disappear in a flash…

He paused for a moment when he noticed a small ruckus at another booth. It appeared a smaller hooded figure had gotten into a slight dispute with one of the veteran traders, a rather unpleasant man named Bluenote.

"Damnnit all, I'm not going any lower, you little bitch!" Bluenote grabbed the stranger, causing their hood to fall. Bixlow started when he saw a flash of white hair and realized exactly who it was.

He strode over rapidly and knocked Bluenote's hands away. "Cool off, Bluenote, she's new down here." He grabbed Lisanna and pushed her away, not giving the man a chance to respond.

"What the hell are _you_ doing down here, of all places?!" Bixlow hissed in her ear as he led her off. "You almost got your throat slashed, ya idiot!"

Lisanna struggled against his grip. "I could've handled it…"

Bixlow snorted and pushed her around a corner and into Cobra's shop. It would serve as a safe haven…for now.

The man was locking lips with his fiancée, a bartender named Kinana, when they entered, and basically ignored the duo, and they him. "Handled it my ass! Bluenote's got a crazy streak a mile wide, he'd have left ya ta rot in an alley if ya let him."

Lisanna whirled around and glared at him. "Why the hell do you even care?!"

"Cuz you saved my ass, and now I'm returning the favor. Now what the hell provoked you to come down to this side of town?"

Lisanna pouted but relented. "If you must know, I was looking for something for a friend. Something not exactly legal."

Bixlow narrowed his eyes. "Now what would a nice girl like you want from the black market district…" He asked suspiciously.

"I told you, it's for a friend!" She stomped her foot and pouted almost comically. "Mind your own business!"

Bixlow put up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, I'll leave it alone. Now, pray tell, what was your plan after you bought your mystery item? Just walk back to the palace? That's not how things work here girly, not at all."

"I…" Lisanna paused, unable to respond. For a moment there was no sound except for Cobra grumbling about how loud they were and pulling Kinana into another room.

Bixlow sighed and crossed his arms. "Look, since you saved my ass once already and you clearly don't have an exit strategy, I'll walk you back into one of the more…reputable districts. C'mon, let's go, before Cobra kills us."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back out on to the street, cautiously making his way back towards the palace. She complied, albeit with much huffing and complaints. It took them a while, but they eventually made their way back into a less shady area of town. As soon as he had an eyeline to the palace, he released her.

"There. Now seriously, don't pull anything like that again." He shot her a cheeky grin and lolled his tongue out at her before turning and walking away. She stuck out her own tongue at him as he walked off and returned to the palace.

. . .

"Did you get it?" Erza asked as she invited herself into Lisanna's room. The girl sighed at the intrusion.

"No, Erza, I didn't. The dealers were too sketchy, and honestly, I feel like this whole thing is really, really intrusive and wrong. I mean, if you're going to do this, do it right!"

The redhead sighed. "Milady, I can't and you know that! This is the only damn chance I have of making sure he'll… y'know." She flushed and pushed her hair behind her ear. "Look, I need that potion! Otherwise someone else'll…" she trailed off again.

Lisanna groaned. "Erza, your fears are rather misplaced, that won't happen in a million years. Just give it a shot, okay, without illegal aides this time."

Erza nodded pensively. "I…guess…" She flushed again and turned to leave. "Thanks milady… I'll try…"

. . .

Bixlow wandered back towards his home, Cobra's money still weighing heavily in his back pocket. As he turned into his neighborhood, a sudden flash of blue blasted across his vision and the man found himself on the floor, a yatagan pointed at his face.

He suddenly smirked, despite his predicament. "Well well, hello lieutenant. Gonna turn me over to the captain? Might get a nice little reward, maybe she'll finally let you screw her-"

He was cut off when Jellal pushed the sword closer to his throat. "You will not talk about Erza that way." He said coldly. He surprised Bixlow, however, when he suddenly pulled his sword away. The thief tentatively stood up and brushed himself off. "However, despite my better judgement, I won't be bringing you to her…"

Jellal turned and looked Bixlow dead in the eyes. "I need your help with something."

Bixlow's eyebrows shot up. "What kinda something, cartel stuff? Or maybe someone in particular?"

"No, nothing like that. It's about Captain Scarlet." Bixlow's eyebrows rose even higher. This was turning into quite the interesting conversation. "I think…I'm in love with her."

**YASSSSS there's the Jerza y'all were waiting for! Sorry about the lateness, but seriously, this chapter took foreverrrrrrr to write! **


	4. An Interesting Conversation

**Hehehehe finally had some time to actually update this. Sorry. Had writers block somethin' horrible. Anyway, here it is, finally.**

**Chapter 4: An Interesting Conversation**

"You think what?" Bixlow asked, feigning surprise while trying to hold in his laughter. He'd known that for months, years even, and this idiot was just figuring it out now?! He struggled to contain a malicious smirk.

"I think I'm in love with her, ok?" Jellal snapped, glaring. "Now cut the crap. The only reason I'm not dragging your sorry ass back to booking is because I think you can help me."

Bixlow couldn't hold back the smirk this time. "Real honorable of ya there. Alright, I'll help ya out, but if the captain comes knocking on my door tomorrow morning, I'll make sure you two never see the end of it."

Jellal grumbled and nodded. "Fine. Deal. Now, talk to me."

"Well, ya gotta tell me exactly what you want. You just wanna screw around, or are you lookin' for one of those serious relationships? If it's the former, I've got a friend with some potions that may help…"

Jellal snapped the yatagan against his throat again, glaring. "Which one do you think?" he said coldly.

"Ehh…probably the latter. Well, I suppose the first thing ya gotta do is tell her how you feel." Bixlow said, switching to a more serious tone. His future as a free man was riding on this advice.

"That's just it…how?" Jellal asked more pleadingly, hoping against hope that this criminal could help him.

Bixlow sighed. "Alright, we're gonna have a lot of talking to do. Come with me, we're getting some drinks." He grabbed the reluctant lieutenant and dragged him into a nearby bar.

. . .

Several hours, and quite a few drinks later, Bixlow and Jellal walked out of the bar. Bixlow was grinning ear to ear, with enough blackmail material to last him for years. Jellal, on the other hand, seemed significantly more confident…though that may have just been the alcohol.

Their little reverie was interrupted, however, when a certain redhead crashed the party.

"Jellal!" Bixlow's eyes widened at the sound of her voice, and he cursed. Giving Jellal a supportive cuff on the shoulder, he quickly faded back into the bar, watching their exchange carefully.

Erza stalked up to Jellal, who gave her a smile…and immediately received a slap across the face for his efforts.

"Where the hell have you been?! You were supposed to finish patrol and then meet with me at lockup, but you disappeared off the damn map for two hours!" She exploded at him, leaving him no room to give a reply. "And where do I find you?! At a damn bar! You could've been hurt, you could've been fucking dead for all I knew!"

Jellal paled as he realized just how seriously she was taking this. "Erza…"

"Don't 'Erza' me! I am still your superior, and you will address me as such!" She scowled and glared at him the briefest flash of grief showing through her anger. "I can't believe I thought… never mind. Get your ass back to central and sober up, and I'll consider not assigning you to the gang sweep beat."

With that, she turned and stalked off, leaving a stunned Jellal in her wake. He glanced at where Bixlow was hiding. "I…really fucked up, didn't I?"

"Looks like it. Good luck to you sir, I probably shouldn't stick around…" Bixlow grinned and ran off, practically cackling to himself. _Unrequited love's a bitch, Jellal, it's better you learn that now. _With a final smirk, Bixlow faded back into the shadows.

Lisanna sighed and walked off on her own. She had set out to follow Erza, (t watch what she did, nothing creepy like that) and had witnessed the entire exchange. She scowled and followed after Bixlow. With a small jog, she caught up to him and pushed him against a wall.

"What the hell was that?" She hissed, throwing her hood back. 'You knew Erza would hate him for that!"

"And that's my problem how?" Bixlow asked. If he was surprised by her sudden appearance, he didn't show it.

"You knew he was in love with her! I mean, it's obvious, but what you don't know is she loved him too!" She scowled at him and continued. "She was going to confess to him today. Do you know how long it took her to get up the courage to do that!? And now, cuz of your damn stunt, she'll probably never look at him again!" She spat on the ground in front of him and glared.

Bixlow was in shock. Sure, he knew Jellal had a thing for his boss, but that the entire situation was this serious…he was the one who had fucked up, wasn't he?

The smaller woman continued to glare at him as it sunk in. "Now, you're gonna do your damnedest to get them together again. No matter what. If you don't, I may just let slip to Erza that you live around here and were responsible for this whole incident."

Bixlow paled and nodded madly, the true seriousness of the entire situation finally hitting him. Lisanna's look softened and she sighed. "Look, I know you probably didn't mean anything, nor did you know. If you want, I'll help you. I know Erza better than almost anyone. I suppose you know where to find me."

Bixlow relaxed a little, cracking a smile. "Soooo…is that a free invitation into your bedroom?" He replied, waggling his tongue at her.

Lisanna stuck her own tongue out at him, flushing slightly. "No, no it's not! You know what I meant! Now shoo, I'm still mad at you!" She said, shooting him a pouty look. Bixlow just chuckled and headed off back towards his house.

Lisanna bit her lip nervously as he left, still flushed slightly. As much as she found him absolutely infuriating, he was cute…gahhh, what was she thinking!? She chewed nervously on a nail as she turned to make her way back to the palace—a bad habit, she knew, but she was conflicted, damnnit, and she could do what she wanted.

With a final huff, she set off towards the palace. She could figure out how to deal with…_this_ at another time. For now, she suspected she'd have to comfort a rather distraught Erza for a few hours- always a fun experience- and she needed all her energy focused on that. She could focus on her feelings- or whatever they were- for the criminal later.

**Yasssss finally a new chapter I'm so sorry for making y'all wait! I will definitely try to update more often now that school's over, but idk guys, sorry!**

**One last note I forgot last time, a yatagan is a Middle Eastern style short sword.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Finallyyyyyyyyyyyy, free time! I've been sooo busy, but now, I guess y'all are getting a new chapter! I don't even know what to do, but I figured I gotta try!**

**Chapter 5: Hopeless**

Bixlow slouched into his chair and grabbed a bottle of strong whiskey. He had a bad, bad feeling about this whole deal, and chances were it wasn't going to end well for him. He sighed and took a swig before making up his mind. He staggered to his makeshift bed and decided to sleep off his slight drunkenness—he'd visit the princess in the morning and try to sort this shit out.

. . . . .

Lisanna awoke the next morning and stretched with a yawn. She got up and was unsurprised to find a certain redhead crashed on her couch. One could tell she was upset just by the way she was sleeping, curled up in the fetal position and shifting every few moments, clearly uncomfortable in some way.

The blond decided to let her sleep. She was the captain, she could miss a morning of work. She returned to her room to get dressed and was slightly shocked to find Bixlow leering at Erza's sleeping form when she returned.

"Bixlow!" She hissed. "What the hell are you doing?!"

The masked man grinned at her and poked Erza's side, causing her to shift and mumble something under her breath. Lisanna flinched.

"Bix, you're gonna wake her up!" She protested quietly. At this the man grinned widely and stuck out his tongue.

"Didn't know ya cared _Lis_." He shot back, and the girl realized what she'd said. She colored deeply and stammered for an answer

"I…not…it…well maybe if your name wasn't so weird!" She shot at him, knowing it was weak. The thief simply smirked in reply and waggled his tongue at her. He slung a bag off his shoulder and rummaged inside of it. He pulled out a small parcel and tucked it under the slumbering captain's arm, raising a questioning look from Lisanna.

"Tell her that's from Jellal." He said simply. "A make-up gift, if you will."

Lisanna shot him a look. "You really think a present is gonna cheer her back up?"

"If she thinks it's from Jellal, and she gets more than just one." Bixlow explained. Lisanna thought about it. It wasn't a bad plan, per say, though it seemed out of character for the both of them. She shrugged: if this was how Bixlow was going to try to help, she wasn't going to stop him.

At that moment Erza stirred in her sleep and started waking up. Bixlow started and immediately ran into a side room and shut himself in.

The captain awoke and sat up slowly, still clearly unhappy. She felt the package slip from under her arm and caught it with a confused look. She looked at Lisanna, biting her lip nervously.

"Milady…" Lisanna smiled gently at her.

"Jellal." She said simply, and the captain nodded in understanding. She carefully unwrapped the package and gasped. A simple but well-built janbiya dagger fell into her hands, and she traced the curved blade with her finger. "He…I don't want it."

She tossed it aside on the couch and Lisanna rolled her eyes. "Erza…"

"No!" she snapped. "He's…he's pitiful, and he's weak, and I hate him…" she continued, rather unconvincingly, pulling her legs up on the couch and curling up in a ball again. "And he hates me, and, and…" she sniffled and buried her face in a cushion.

Lisanna sighed and sat down next to her. "Look, Erza…Jellal loves you. He won't admit it, and you won't believe it, but he does. He worked his ass off to climb the ranks, just so he could work with you! If that's not dedication, I don't know what is."

Erza simply mumbled a response and shook her head vehemently. Bixlow sighed loudly from his hiding spot- this wasn't fucking working, that much was clear. He finally decided to risk his back up plan; maybe she'd be so emotional she wouldn't kick his ass.

No way in hell that would happen he admitted to himself, but it was worth a shot. With a groan, he stepped from his hiding place and quickly snuck up behind them, making it look like he had come from the open window. With a soft grunt, he hurdled the couch and sprawled out next to the dejected redhead.

"Awww, is the widdle Captain all sad cuz no one wuvs her?" He asked mockingly. The redhead froze for a moment, in which Bixlow caught a glance of a horrified Lisanna's face mouthing "What the fuck are you doing?" at him. Seconds later, that ended and his field of view was replaced with near tangible rage.

"What the fuck are you doing here!?" she raged. "You…you…you thieving, stealing, ass! How the fuck did you get in here even?! And what gives you the right to question my love life!? I should arrest you right here! Just…just…leave me the fuck alone!" She choked out finally, her anger emptying as she collapsed back on the couch.

The criminal shot Lisanna a concerned glance, biting his lip in apprehension. If she was so emotionally traumatized she didn't even want to pursue him or even arrest him, things were bad indeed. With a sigh, he switched to a more serious tone.

"Captain, what the lil princess is tellin' ya here is true. The only reason Jellal went out and got drunk was because he came to me, asking about you. Specifically, how to go about telling you he's madly in love with you. So chew on that for a lil while. Maybe you'll realize none of us have a reason to lie to you."

With that he got up, and with an over-the-top salute and a kiss blown at the now thoroughly flustered Lisanna, he hurdled out the window and set off to go find Jellal.

He had a lot to answer for.

**OMG I FINALLY FINISHED SO SORRYYYYY but seriously, I'm sorry. No excuses I suppose. New update sooner than this one, I hope.**


	6. The City at Night

**Author's Note: Well well, here we are. Finally had some time. I'm movin in to college in just under a week, and I'm suppppeeerrrrrr excited! Unfortunately, it also means updates will be quite…few and far between, unfortunately. But oh well, I'll update when I can. In the meantime, several people asked for more Bixanna, soooo…here ya go!**

**Chapter 6: The City at Night**

Bixlow scurried away from the palace as quickly as possible, laughing but knowing full well he was beyond fucked the next time he ran into the captain. But he had his blackmail material, and that was what mattered to him.

He was still chuckling when he reached his street. He swung into the bar for an hour or so, celebrating his little victory of sorts. When he stumbled out, he ran right into the last person he had expected to see.

"Well hello princess. Comin' to see me?" Lisanna started and flinched hard. When she saw who it was though, her face scrunched up angrily and she punched his arm.

"You jerk!" She whined. "Don't _do_ that!"

Bixlow chuckled. "So, why _are_ you here? You worried 'bout lil old me?"

The blonde blushed fiercely. "Uh…well…maybe?"

Bixlow stuck his tongue out at her, though he was also flushed beneath his visor. Lisanna shot him a look, her face cooling. "Hey, don't you stick your tongue out at me! Last time Erza was pissed at you, you needed my help!"

"How is the captain, speaking of?" Bixlow cut in, trying to change the subject before it got more uncomfortable.

"She's…coping. She still hasn't forgiven Jellal…but she isn't curled up on my couch anymore, so I guess that's a plus." Lisanna relayed. "But stop changing the subject! You just don't wanna admit you need my help!"

Bixlow yanked off his visor and shot her a 'really' look. "Riiight, and you're sooo independent…I had to drag your ass outta the market just last week!"

The princess stuck her tongue out at him. "Shut up! That was different!"

"Oh really? And how?" Bixlow asked with a smirk.

"It…it just was!" She pouted. "And I came to see you cuz…cuz…cuz I was worried, ok?! Erza was _really_ pissed at you and I thought maybe she'd…hurt you…or somethin'…" She murmured softly, rubbing her legs together awkwardly.

Bixlow chuckled awkwardly and turned away to hide his flushed face, slipping his visor back on. "Well…no worries I guess. I'm doin' just fine." He chuckled again. "No scary redheads here…'les ya count Flare, she hangs out in the bar over there but she's not really scary…" Lisanna smiled a little.

"Oh…good. That's good…" she mumbled. Bixlow couldn't think of anything else to say, and the two stood in awkward silence for a few moments. He chewed his lip awkwardly, thinking of something to say.

"Hey, uh…it's getting kinda dark…you should probably head back to the palace, huh?" Bixlow asked, mentally kicking himself for the dumb question. The blonde bit her lip and looked around.

"I should…but, uh…I…I don't wanna go back…alone…" she muttered. "You're neighborhood's really sketchy…" Bixlow bit his lip harder.

"Well, uh, I…I guess I could do that…" He mumbled in reply. "Let's go then." He offered her his arm, which she took with much concealed blushing. The pair set off across the city, passing by the great Kardia Cathedral, and the master bazaar, and even some of the sketchier back alleys.

As they approached the palace, however, they were suddenly stopped by a group stepping out of the shadows. Bixlow recognized them on sight and scowled.

"Well hello Bluenote." He muttered, and he smirked.

"Evenin' Bixlow. We're here for the lil princess, so just step outta the way and no one'll hafta get hurt."

Bixlow's scowl deepened. "No can do. No one's touchin' her." He slowly stepped back, however: he knew there was no way he could beat a group this size by himself, but maybe he could buy enough time for her to get away.

The assembled group stepped forward as he moved back. He began drawing his hidden knives when he had a better idea. With a flick of the wrist, he threw down a homemade smoke bomb and immediately scooped up Lisanna in his arms as he sprinted away.

With a shriek, the blonde clung to him as he sprang atop a low level rooftop. Bixlow swung her around and hoisted her up in a piggy back before continuing his free run escape. The group of attackers stumbled through the smoke, utterly lost. Bixlow smirked for a second before continuing to run.

Lisanna clung to his back as he ran, terrified but a bit exhilarated. They eventually cleared several city blocks by rooftop before coming to a stop. The blonde stayed where she was for a minute, her body pressed against his muscled back. She started unconsciously feeling his broad shoulders, and running her hands over his toned pecs, and oh dear god what was she doing.

She dropped off his back, blushing fiercely. Bixlow turned around with a confident smirk that masked how anxious (yet excited) feeling her hands on his body made him.

"Ya like that?" He murmured softly, biting his lip. She colored deeply and stared at the ground.

"I, uh, gotta go." She mumbled quickly, turning around and starting off towards the palace. Bixlow finally decided enough was enough and grabbed her shoulder.

"Hey, wait a minute. I, uhh…I really kinda like you, yeah? You're feisty, and you're not trying to kill me, and well, you did save my ass. And I wouldn't really mind if we…met…more often, y'know? Just a thought…"

She looked up at him, still flushed. "I…I'd like that. Yeah, I'd like that."

The thief grinned and flashed her a huge smile before leaping across to another roof and setting off towards his apartment. The princess stood in thought for a second before also returning to her home.

. . .

In the shadows, a figure slipped away. After a brief jaunt through the city, it stopped at a dilapidated hut, and ducked under the torn curtain that served as a door. He faced the other two darkened, seated figures inside and spoke in a deep voice.

"Our team failed, and worse, we have a new enemy. This may become a problem."

The other two shadows nodded, and one spoke up.

"Leave it to me. I will find a solution for the tattooed man."

**DUN**

**DUN**

**DUNNNNNNNNNNNN**

**FINALLY WE GET THE ACTUAL PLOT MUHAHAHAHAHA**

**HAVE FUN SUCKERS!**


	7. A Mistake?

**Authors Note: Yayyy, I'm back! And officially moved in to college! Woohoo! Anyway, I'll cut the crap, here's your chapter!**

**Chapter 7- A Mistake?**

Bixlow quickly made his way towards the palatial district on his normal route via the rooftops. It had been several days since…whatever it was had happened, and the pair had agreed to finally meet again, not that either of them would ever admit they had been eagerly anticipating it.

With a final hurdle, Bixlow landed gracefully on Lisanna's balcony, their arranged meeting spot. Despite numerous attempts to conjure something, he had absolutely no idea what exactly they would be doing, or even if they would be going anywhere at all. He shrugged and gently rapped the door frame—maybe she had some ideas.

The blonde stepped shyly out the door. She had dressed down for this little event, and he had dressed up, so all in all, they looked like any other pair of middle class merchants that called the city home. Of course, Bixlow had been forced to wear his normal head wrap and mask to hide his distinctive tattoo, so the illusion was broken a little, but he was still almost unrecognizable.

The princess, on the other hand, needed no such garment. She had donned a plainer, yet still rather opulent, looking set of traditional robes, including a face and head covering that left the bridge of her nose and her sparkling eyes visible. The thief grinned awkwardly.

"Well…I'm here. You got a plan? Cuz I sure don't." Lisanna rolled her eyes and muttered something about 'being prepared' and 'way to make a girl feel special,' but her eyes showed she was smiling.

"Of course, you dummy. In fact, I was just thinking you could show me around the city a little. I might technically be in charge but seeing as its damn near impossible to leave this joint without an armed guard, I haven't actually seen much of the city."

Bixlow grinned even wider. "Oh, I think I can handle that. I assume we'll be walking this time?" Lisanna flushed a little and looked down.

"Yeah…yeah I think we should." Neither of them wanted to admit that that was in any way disappointing to them, so after an awkward moment, they set off. They started with the normal, touristy sites, including the Cathedral, the river, and in what Bixlow thought was a hilarious twist, a minaret's view of the Sultan's Palace.

"Oh, an absolute riot." Lisanna mocked as they clambered back down the spiral stairs. "Not like I see _that_ building enough, ya dork."

Bixlow just laughed and laughed, actually having difficulty navigating the stairs due to his raucous fit. "Mavis _damn_ Lis, you should have seen your face! That was hilarious!"

Lisanna just pouted and crossed her arms grumpily. "I hope you have some better stuff lined up, because to be honest, this isn't living up to my expectations."

Bixlow quickly stopped laughing and straightened his mask. "Oh yes, of course your majesty." He joked, skipping ahead of her as she struggled to keep up.

"Hey, wait up!" Bixlow just laughed again.

"Hey, I know you've got some damn nice legs under there, use 'em!" Lisanna flushed wildly as she, of course, took this the perverted way—then again, he had kinda meant it that way, so it evened out.

"Well…well maybe if you didn't have such long damn legs!" She shot back quickly, inwardly cursing her self—she needed better insults. Bixlow stopped and turned to her with a massive grin—or at least, what looked like one, given his concealed face.

"You sayin' you like my legs Lissy?" He asked. "Cuz they're hardly even my best feature. I'm sure you'll enjoy the others."

Her blush darkened. "N-not like that, you perv!" Bixlow chuckled and kept walking. The princess stood still, flushed deep red for a moment, before scurrying after him. "Y-you still haven't slowed down!"

"Calm down, we're almost to our next stop!"

. . .

Several hours later, as the sun began dipping behind the massive dome of the cathedral, and the sky was stained with crimson streaks and orange undertones, Bixlow concluded their sightseeing trip back at his humble home. The pair stood watching the sunset for a second before he spoke.

"Well, that's it. Want an escort home?" Lisanna looked at him, then the setting sun, then back at him.

"Uh…well, y'see…remember last time? I…d-don't wanna do that again…I'm…I'm…" she hesitated before swallowing her pride and telling him how she felt. "I'm scared…"

The man looked at her oddly for a second before nodding slowly. "It's alright, I get it. If ya want, you can crash here. You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch or somethin'." She bit her lip and glanced at him.

"Is…is that ok? I don't wanna burden you…"

"No, no, it's fine…you have every right to be scared of those freaks, and my humble abode is open to anyone who needs it. I'll go set up the bed." He turned and entered the small apartment and quickly prepared the bed for her. After a quick 'good night,' and an assurance that the other members of the royal family wouldn't miss her for one night, they both headed off to bed.

. . .

At around 2 am, when the night reached its coldest, Lisanna awoke with a shiver. She to her core.

Still shivering, she stumbled blindly through the darkened rooms until she heard Bixlow's slow breathing. Unsure what else to do, and not wanting to rouse him, she clambered over him and curled up next to his legs, trying to sap some extra body ehat for herself. Finally warmer, she doused off again.

. . .

Bixlow awoke the next morning with the distinct sense that there wasn't enough room on the couch anymore. He cracked his eyes open against the morning sunlight and had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Lisanna, who had started off her night besides him, was now laying _on_ him, her head resting against his chest and her arms draped gently over his torso. His own arms, he found, had unconsciously snaked around her waist and held her loosely.

Upon realizing that he was, in fact, _not_ dreaming, he started and tried to gently extricate himself from her grip. Despite his disappointment, and probably hers too (She may have thought herself sneaky, but he could fairly easily tell what she thought by the way she acted), he knew that any sort of relationship between the—even as benign as the friendship they now shared—was destined for a horrid end in all likelihood.

And as the princess in his arms slowly blinked awake herself, he was sure of it:

This had been a very, very grave mistake.

**Hehehehe, thought you'd all like that. No worriesw, the plot shall from hence commence (hey a rhyme!) but idk how fast cuz NOW IM A COLLEGE STUDENT WOOT WOOT**

**Alright, well, I guess we'll see. Pan out.**


	8. Day in Which Many Odd Things Occur et al

**Author's Note: Soooo, I'm back! And all moved in! This college schedule is great tbh, I have like, completely open afternoons. So, since I have this free time for now at least, here you are.**

**Chapter 8- A Day in Which Many Odd Things Occur, Leaving Everyone in a State of Confused Inner Turmoil**

Lisanna blinked awake and mumbled a "morning" to the man she was snuggling with. It took her several seconds but she did eventually realize what exactly that entailed, but when it hit her, she flushed a shade of red Erza would have been jealous of.

"Uh…m-m-morning…Bix…low…" she stuttered, immediately trying to move away from him. Bixlow, however, was also trying to move away from her, and in the ensuing chaos, they found themselves tangled even closer.

"Ok, just stop for a minute." Bixlow replied, trying to shift her weight so she would end up on his lap- more comfortable, but no less awkward. After a few more seconds of struggling, Lisanna managed to free herself and promptly stood up and got away from the couch, biting her lip and looking at the floor.

"S-sorry…I…g-got cold last night…" she stammered, still quite embarrassed and flustered. Bixlow was equally so, though he was better at hiding it.

"Uh…it's…ok, I guess…" he mumbled, unsure what else to say. They then stood in absolute silence for several minutes, the awkwardness only intensifying. Bixlow finally broke the heavy silence out of desperation.

"So…I'll walk you back…and we can get somethin' to eat on the way…trust me, y'don't wanna taste my cooking." He joked weakly. Lisanna nodded and laughed softly, in an obviously fake way. Neither of them would look the other in the eye and just stood to leave simultaneously.

After a brief, silent walk they reached the edge of the palace complex. Lisanna bit her lip and offered up a soft 'goodbye' before walking off quickly. Bixlow sighed and turned to go back towards his apartment, not even realizing that he had been followed. Two figures stood steeped in shadows watching most of the pair's exchange…what there had been of one anyway.

"See Azuma? We hardly had to do anything, and already it has become less of a problem."

"Your intuition is stunning Master. Shall I alert the rest of the Triad?"

"No. Leave them to squirm. I don't trust either of those idiots with _my_ plan. Come Azuma. We have much to prepare for." Azuma nodded in agreement and the pair set off under cover of the shadows.

. . .

Lisanna slumped on the couch in her room, quite reminiscent of how Erza had acted last time she had been there. This morning had brought up a lot of things she had tried to pretend didn't exist- feelings she had, that she knew she shouldn't.

See, when she had found herself in his arms that morning, right before the abject horror set in, she had felt a sense of…safety, almost. Not that she didn't feel safe here in the palace, but…somehow, he had managed to make her feel like nothing could touch her, without the ranks of trained guards that followed her, y'know, absolutely everywhere else.

She sighed. She'd hoped to avoid this quandary altogether—make a new friend, just shut away what she felt, and eventually get married to some half-witted suitor with lots of land or something and just get over it. But that hadn't happen, and now she had no idea what to do.

She needed someone to talk to…Erza? No, she had too much romantic trouble of her own. Her lovable, yet insensitively dense guard, Natsu? No, he was…clueless, to put it simply. Her sister, the future sultana?

…hellllllll no. That would cause more problems then it solved, namely, how to save Bixlow from complete annihilation, as well as avoiding the romantic "surprises" she'd set up for the two. She was a bit bipolar that way.

Lisanna sighed and curled up on her bed. She'd have to figure it out herself, unfortunately, though she didn't even know where to start. So she sat up determinedly and started to think.

. . .

Jellal took a deep breath before lightly rapping the doorframe leading into Erza's office. He was invited inside with a glare, an eyeroll, and an eventual grunt in greeting. He walked up and sat across the desk from the woman he'd come to love…not that _she_ knew that, of course.

"Captain, I'd like to apologize. The events of last week were…a misunderstanding, but nevertheless, I was at fault. If you wish, you may suspend me, strip me of rank, and deal punishment as you see fit. My only wish is to remain on the force…if it means anything to you."

Erza sighed. She'd been dreading this conversation for the longest time, and now she'd finally run out of excuses to put it off. "Leiutenant…Jellal…it's quite possible I overreacted, but you clearly understand the severity of your infraction. I don't wish to force your resignation…you're a good man, and we need you here. However, I think a suspension would be appropriate...though I do have something for you…to have back, I suppose."

She grabbed the knife out of a drawer. "As nice as it is, I can't accept it as a bribe…but if you wait til your suspension is up, I can accept it as a friend…" she added at the end, almost as an afterthought, hoping the man in front of her would _take the damn hint already_.

However, Jellal looked confused, and didn't even acknowledge what she'd said. "Uhh…I didn't give this to you." He replied bluntly. "I'm sorry…maybe you have a…secret admirer?" He pondered aloud, hoping against hope that that wasn't the case.

Erza thought for a second and suddenly sat up. "Bixlow! That damned, thieving, lawless bastard! C'mon, I'm gonna grind his ass into the ground when I get him this time!"

Poor Jellal was even more confused. "Wait…Bixlow's your-"

"No! He just gave me the knife, see!? And told me it was from you! Well, actually Lisanna said that, so…wait a minute!" Erza was getting more riled up by the second while Jellal struggled to keep up with her train of thought. "How the hell did she know?! C'mon Jellal, we're gonna go interrogate her!"

"Um, Erza, she's a princess. I think that's illegal."

"Nonsense! I'm sure the Sultan will understand! C'mon!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him bodily out of the room, his train of thought still stuck on the 'secret admirer' thing.

"Wait, so…Bixlow is covering for Lisanna cuz she's secretly in love with you?"

"No! Bixlow gave Lisanna the knife to give to me and told me it was from you cuz I was really upset at you and thought you hated me or something but then Bixlow broke in and told me that you liked me and I guess I like you too." She explained rapidly before kissing his cheek. "Make sense?"

Jellal was still lost, but stopped thinking about it when she kissed him. "Oh yeah…perfect sense…" he murmured in shock.

"Good! Now let's go talk to the princess!"

…**are you as confused as I am? Good! Sorry for the piecemeal-ness, but I had a couple different little things to tie up before…well, only I know that part, but you will soon hehehehe**

**Isn't Jellal adorable? Poor sap has no clue what's going on, but tbh, now, he doesn't care xD. But he will. Oh, he will heheheh**

**Natsu as the friendly, dorky guard was just kinda perfect, y'know what I mean? I mean, he and Lisanna are close friends, and he's very protective of his friends, so it just kinda fit, like cobra and the sketchy poison salesman xD. Speaking of Cobra, we might just see him again soon, so get ready hehehe**

**Any guesses who our villain is? Or the Triad as well, I should say? I think one should be pretty obvious by now, but see if you can guess the other two. You'll find out soon enough anyway.**


	9. Breaking Up is Hard to Do

**Author's Note: Holy shit an update! Yes, I am very sorry. I have not forgotten you all, I've just been having a rough time over here and this is my lowest priority right now tbh. But I still must update, so here! Update! Yay!**

**Oh, and to answer this question- someone has been noticing her disappearances hehe. Guess who.**

**Chapter 9- Breaking Up is Hard to Do**

Bixlow slunk back home, head hung low and inwardly lecturing himself about how much of an idiot he had been.

It wasn't even that his chance had been blown—he knew he had no chance to begin with. She was literal royalty, whereas he was probably on Erza's Most Wanted list back at the keep. Aside from maybe Cobra and some of the other fences, she was the only person he had really considered a friend.

Of course, he could go back…try and, well, fix wasn't the right word. But he could try. Sure, waking up with her sprawled out on top of him had been plenty awkward…but he couldn't deny he had liked it. Maybe, just maybe, she'd liked it too.

"No way to know but to ask…" he muttered, and against his better judgement, turned and made his way back to the palace.

. . .

Jellal jogged behind Erza as they approached the palace gates, still hopelessly confused, but at least with a huge weight off his chest. He had been worried the captain wouldn't even let him back into the force…and then all of his effort would be for nothing.

He caught up to said redhead as she was pounding on Lisanna's door. "Milady! Please, open up! We need to talk to you!" After several minutes, a rather surprised and seemingly sad Lisanna peered out.

"Oh, it's you guys. Uh, come in, I guess." Erza immediately barged in, pushing the startled blonde over to the couch.

"Milady…just how much of a relationship do you have with the thief Bixlow?" Lisanna blanched.

"Um…none at all?" She squeaked, and Erza shot her a 'really?' look.

"You're a terrible liar." The redhead stated matter-of-factly. "How else could he have known to come in here if he didn't know you?"

Lisanna shrank under the captain's intensity, trying to find words. "Well…uh…I…" Before she could find the words, however, the entire scene was interrupted when the very topic of their conversation tumbled through an open window.

"Uhh…am I interrupting somethin'?" Bixlow asked nonchalantly, upon seeing his two mortal enemies in the same room. There was a brief second of absolute silence before everything erupted at once.

"Bixlow get out of here!"

"BIXLOW!"

"Erza, hang on-mmff!"

*crash*

"Damnnit!"

Lisanna screamed her warning as Erza leaped for the sneak thief who cunningly dodged, allowing Erza to crash directly into Jellal. The pair then stumbled back into Lisanna, who fell into a vase which promptly broke on Bixlow's foot. After several more seconds of madness the four managed to get themselves back on their feet, with a panting, furious Erza and a rather distressed Jellal facing a red faced Lisanna and a wincing Bixlow.

"I was right!" Erza growled triumphantly, as Jellal rolled his eyes. Bixlow shot Lisanna a look.

"Why didn't you tell me you were having company?" he joked, despite the seriousness of the situation.

"I didn't think you'd come back here!" Lisanna stammered, flushed. "I-I mean after last night…"

"Whoa! Hey, what're we missing here, what happened last night?" Jellal cut in, sounding rather concerned.

"None of your business!" The pair snapped back at him, and he promptly stopped talking.

"Enough of this nonsense, Bixlow, you're under arrest!" Erza gloated and sauntered towards him. Bixlow just grinned.

"Oh…am I?" He chuckled, and Erza blinked, caught off guard. In that split second, Bixlow spun around, planted a kiss on the princess's cheek and dove back out the window through which he had come in.

Jellal and Erza were in shock, and Lisanna was pretty sure she couldn't be more flustered. There was another second of absolute silence before the redhead faced the blonde.

"Milady, we'll talk about this later." She grabbed Jellal's hand and ran for the door. As soon as they were gone, Lisanna sat back down on the coach and started biting her fingernails nervously.

_M-maybe he was just taunting Erza. Or…or it was an accident! No that's stupid._ She shook her head even at the thought. Clearly, obviously, he cared about her in some way. That kiss hadn't been an accident no more than him trying to come back and talk to her had been an accident.

She bit her lip. This only made things even more complicated, damnnit! How was she supposed to forget about him when he did stuff like this! _Oh, I hope Erza doesn't catch him…sorry Erza._

She reached up and gently brought her hand to where his lips had met her cheek. She just sat there for a minutes, frozen like that, thinking. There was no way she could rightly ignore him now, was there? But at the same time…she couldn't let it get any more serious. No way. She was in deep enough as it is.

She slumped down on the couch and sighed. She'd thought she'd figured this out, but now…she'd have to rethink the same thing again.

_Damnnit Bixlow._

. . .

Jellal dug in his heels and eventually managed to bring the rampaging redhead to a halt.

"Erza…captain…we lost him, ok? Calm down…"

"He was right there Jellal!" She raged, spinning around to face him. "Right fuckin' there! And we missed him."

Jellal sighed and grabbed her shoulders to keep her from stalking off. "It's fine Erza, you'll get him someday. We just gotta outthink him." Erza sighed and calmed down quickly.

"Yeah, yeah…you say that every time."

"I know. It's the only thing that works, apparently." He retorted with a grin.

Erza smiled and looked at him for a second, clearly thinking something through. "You're a good lieutenant Jellal. And a good friend." She surprised him by breaking her usual stoic façade and hugging him. "I'm glad I get to work with you."

Jellal wasn't sure how to react, so he kinda of just stood there awkwardly and let her hug him for a minute before finally throwing his arms around her. On the one hand, this was more affection from her then he'd really ever seen. On the other hand, good friend and coworker wasn't really his goal here…but he'd make due for now.

She pulled away, slowly, tenuously, and he could feel her carefully moving away from him. He wanted to yank her back, keep her there in his arms, and Mavis knew how tempted he was to kiss her right then but he held back. It wasn't the right time, he didn't know how she'd react, and he didn't want to ruin it. So he let her move away and they stood by each other for a minute, unsure what to do.

"We…should probably get back to the keep…" she murmured softly. She had wanted to do the same thing he had, not that he knew…or would ever know at this rate. She sighed inwardly as Jellal nodded in response.

"Yes…back to the grind." He joked lightly and Erza smiled. Maybe right now they wouldn't be together…but with time, someday, maybe.

That day couldn't come soon enough.

**AWWWWWW jerza fluff gives me life xDDD I'm soooo sorry for the insane wait plz don't kill me. In fact, no promises, but I'm gonna try and update this again this weekend for y'all! I'm visiting my aunt and uncle, so I'll have more time, yayyy. So hopefully you'll see me again soon!**


	10. Chapter 10(ish)

**Hey guys. I hate to do this, cuz I feel like I'm cheating you out of an update. This isn't a new chapter to the story, unfortunately, but I do have some big news! **

**SO somehow, through some ridiculous miracle, this lil insignificant story my this lil insignificant author got nominated for a contest! Along such greats as snogfairy and MissyPlatina, somehow. So, while I know I really stand no chance, I'm gonna encourage you guys to go check out The Favorite Fairy Tail Fanfiction Contest by PuckSabrinaDaphne. You're by no means obligated to vote for me xD but look through that list and go vote! If you do decide to vote for my lil story, you are officially awesome in my book xD.**

**So go! Vote! I will update...hopefully soon! Here is a link for your convenience.**

** s/11429655/3/The-Favorite-Fairy-Tail-Fanfiction#**


	11. Love is an OpenWindow?

**Author's Note- omfg an update I know. I'm sooo sorry for the…3 week wait omg. And that was just the announcement jesus I am sorry about that. I've just been so busy and ughhhhhhh my smut fic is so much easier to update xDD I actually need to think of plot for this. But I digress.**

**I actually made it to the final round in that contest! I have no idea how, but I'll thank any and all of you who voted. If you would mind at all, you can go vote again so I can try to win! I totally won't, but we can at least try!**

** s/11429655/4/The-Favorite-Fairy-Tail-FanFiction**

**There is your link, for any interested parties. But now! To the story!**

**Additional bonus good(ish) news! I dropped my math class (fuck math, honestly) so I may be able to update less sporadically! Yay!**

**Chapter 11- Love is an Open…Window?**

About a week had passed, and Lisanna had seen neither hide nor hair of the lanky thief in that time. Part of her was afraid that maybe he'd been caught by Erza, though she knew that would've been _very_ publicized, while another part was disappointed his absence. Another, admittedly very small part of her was glad—she finally had some time to think without his presence. His distractingly handsome, strangely charming presence…_oh c'mon, snap out of it Lis_.

She finished berating herself and continued to get ready—the Sultan was putting on a royal ball tonight, for some political reasons she wasn't exactly sure of. Nevertheless, she was excited to go. Her inner monologue was interrupted when her older sister swept into the room.

"There you are Mira. Could you help me with this?" She asked, handing her the head scarf she'd been having trouble with.

"Of course Lisanna." Mira beamed and began helping her with her hair. "So, will you be using this ball to scout potential suitors?" She asked slyly. Lisanna rolled her eyes. Mira had always been known for her ridiculous intrusions into the romantic lives of…well, everybody.

"I don't know Mira, I don't even know what I'm looking for." She replied. It was the truth—she was still rather conflicted about a certain someone, and wasn't quite sure what to think.

"Hmmm…maybe…someone tall? Blue hair, maybe a facial tattoo?" Mira asked with an evil glint in her eye. Lisanna flushed; how did her sister know about that? …Actually, best no to question that.

"Mira!" She whined and the elder blonde smiled sweetly.

"Oh don't deny it Lis. It's not like you did a great job hiding it." She deflected the complaint and continued nonchalantly. "Of course there is the small matter of him being a wanted criminal, but that just adds intrigue!"

Lisanna glared at her sister. "Intrigue? It's my life y'know, not a romantic novel."

"Oh I know, but you can't deny it makes things interesting."

"Yeah…interesting's the word…" the younger blonde muttered as Mira finished fixing her hair and helped her with the scarf.

"Oh, cheer up! The ball's tonight, it'll be fun!" Mira chirped happily and Lisanna sighed. Her sister had a point, there was no use sulking right now. With her preparations finally complete, she stood and followed Mira down to the ballroom.

. . .

Mira had been right, as she usually was. The ball was quite fun, with lots of music and food. She had spent the last several hours dancing and talking with her friends-the dense but lovable guard Natsu, the priestess Lucy, Gray and Juvia, leaders of the Northern Kingdom, even the royal blacksmith Gajeel and his fiancé Levy, the palace librarian has shown up.

Jellal and Erza were present also, of course. They refrained from dancing, and their opulent outfits hid several (in Erza's case, "several" might be underselling) weapons, but it was obvious they were happy to be there. The young princess even thought she caught a glimpse of Bixlow's black market friend- Cobra was it?- and his purple haired date, but that could've just been her imagination.

About 2 hours in, she was wandering towards the refreshment table when someone bumped into her. She turned to apologize and was taken aback by the incredibly familiar red eyes and tall figure.

"B-Bixlow? What are you doing here?" She hissed, glancing cautiously towards the two guards standing across the room. The thief was wearing clothes to fit in, complete with turban and some (most likely stolen) jewelry, and he had covered his distinctive facial tattoo with some sort of makeup. The princess had to admit- had she not been, ahem, familiar with how he looked, she wouldn't have recognized him.

"What a wonderful greeting." Bixlow replied sarcastically, having to repress the urge stick out his tongue, which was almost as distinctive as the tattoo he had covered. "Your sister helped me out, why I don't know."

Lisanna shot her sister, who was over by Laxus and Sultan Makarov, a look. She just smiled, winked and waved cheekily before going back to talking to her fiancé. The younger blonde rolled her eyes and turned back to Bixlow. "You do know you're crazy, right?"

Bixlow grinned widely. "Crazy for you maybe." He joked before grabbing a glass of wine. Lisanna flushed and clenched her fists.

"Bixlow! I'm serious, Erza's like, _right there!_"

"Oh, I'm well aware. I won't stay too long, but when your sister found me and offered to help out, I couldn't exactly refuse."

"Wait, found you? Bixlow…where did she find you?"

"Oh, y'know…" It was Bixlow's turn to flush as he scratched his neck awkwardly. "Scoping out security…on your balcony."

The princess's face went deep red and she slapped his arm. "What the hell were you doing there, you perv!?"

Bixlow raised his arms in mock surrender. "Would you believe I was honestly just trying to find a way in?"

Lisanna crossed her arms and huffed, her face still deep pink. "Maybe."

"Well I was." The thief assured her. "Anyway, though I hate to admit it, your sister surprised me and locked me in the bathroom. I thought she was crazy…and then she started off about how she would help me get in and then I _knew_ she was crazy."

"Yeah, Mira comes off like that sometimes…" Lisanna murmured with a grin. "But I suppose I'm glad you're here, I guess." Bixlow grinned and couldn't resist letting his tongue loll out for a second.

"Well, I suppose I have time for one dance…if you're up for it." He offered her his hand and she giggled slightly before taking it and dancing with him. He was surprisingly good, though she figured it was due to his natural agility. The pair danced around the room, though they steered clear of Jellal and Erza, who was already casting suspicious glances at the all-too-familiar "stranger."

The band ended their current song and Bixlow stepped back, taking her hand and kissing it as he bowed slightly. Lisanna laughed and curtsied back before quickly kissing his cheek after a second of hesitation. "You should go." She whispered into his ear.

The thief nodded in agreement and quickly disappeared into the crowd. The last she saw of him, he was slipping out a door that was being held open by the same shady dealer she had sworn she'd seen earlier.

"So, did you have fun?"

She jumped slightly as her sister spoke from directly behind her. She flushed and struggled for an answer.

"Uh…yeah. Thanks…I guess." She stammered and Mirajane smiled sweetly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She chirped before dragging a stone-faced Laxus out onto the dance floor. Lisanna sighed and grabbed a drink as she carefully avoided Erza's analyzing stare.

There was really no denying or avoiding it now; she was smitten, gods help her. She could only hope that the thief managed to avoid incurring the redhead's wrath anymore then he already had.

Cobra stopped Bixlow outside the palace. The fence had never been publically wanted, so it was a simpler matter for him to forge invitations for himself and Kinana, thus making them the perfect inside man…woman…people.

"You're really in love with her, aren't you?" Cobra asked. Bixlow shrugged and tried to avoid the question.

"I wouldn't really take it that far…"

"Bixlow." The fence replied seriously. "You just broke into the royal palace to see her. That has literally never been done before. I'd say it's fairly serious."

Bixlow sighed. "Yeah…I guess it is. But anyway, thanks Cobra. I owe you one."

"You're damn right ya do." The fence muttered as he took his fiancé's arm and started off. "Night Bixlow. And good luck."

Bixlow murmured a reply and headed back towards his house, fully aware that he was gonna need all the luck her could get.

**YASSS omfg this chapter is like my fave**

**Which is good cux it took forever to write omg**

**ANYWAY enjoy this lil tidbit, and go vote if you're up to it! Even if it's not for my story, go take a look at the contest, there's a lot of verrryyyyy good authors in there. Lots of good content, and just generally a good idea to go look, whether you vote or not.**

**Some of you may be wondering why I have Cobra as Bixlow's bro instead of, say, Freed. Well, I wonder that too sometimes xD but the truth is Freed is already taken by another role. You'll see eventually, I suppose. I wasn't even planning on having Cobra do all this, but y'know, I think it works out.**

**Also, Lucy is a priestess because if you remember, this 'society' worships the Celestial Spirit King, and since Lucy is the spirit mage…well, yknow, it writes itself. Like blacksmith Gajeel or librarian Levy, and sketchy black market poison salesman Cobra xDD**


	12. Livin' Large

**Author's Note- OMFG AN UPDATE**

**I KNOW, I KNOW**

**It has been sooooooooooo long and for that I deeeeeeply apologize, but between Mystwalker week, moving out and transferring schools, I've been waaaaayy busier than usual. But I have time now! For a bit at least. So here's an update!**

**Chapter 12- Livin' Large**

Bixlow chuckled as he ducked through the crowded bazaar, picking out the fattest wallets among the throng for easy pickings later. This really was _too_ easy, he thought. These people really needed to watch their belongings. Then again, he wasn't about to release a PSA about it.

As he slunk past loaded stalls and equally loaded stall-owners, he glanced towards the palace. He was tempted to go see what the princess was doing, but, well…she'd never seen him "at work" before, and he figured it wouldn't be the best idea.

Then again…it's not like she didn't know what he was. Maybe she'd enjoy the excitement. With a shrug, he turned and meandered towards the palace.

. . .

Lisanna was standing in her bathroom, trying on the jeweled tiara her sister had lent her. She slid the silver band into her hair and admired how well the sapphires matched her eyes. Her sister definitely knew her jewelry, that was for sure.

"Well, ain't that cute."

The blonde spun around, surprised. "OH MY G-oh, Mavis, Bixlow, don't do that!" She pouted and punched his arm.

"Ow! I was complimenting you, damn…"

"You still broke into my bathroom!" She spun around and went back to straightening the headpiece…mostly so she could conceal her blush. "So…you…you really think it's cute?"

Bixlow quickly straightened up and coughed loudly. "Oh…uhh…'hem…m-maybe a lil bit?" The princess had to bite back a squeal and flushed deeply.

"Oh. T-thanks Bix. It's for the wedding. Y'know, for Laxus and my sister. It's comin' up soon! Maybe…maybe you could…sneak in again?" Bixlow chuckled and took a step towards her.

"That…might be a lil tough Lis. I'll try though, alright? But you better bail my ass out if I get caught, kay?"

"Absolutely." She shot back, her blush fading enough so she was able to face him again. "But all this aside…why the hell are you here?"

"Oh, y'know, I was in the area, thought I'd swing by…wanna go rob somethin'?"

The princess blinked and tugged off the tiara. "I mean, sure. Why not?" Bixlow paused for a second and shrugged.

"Well alright, let's go."

. . .

The pair slipped out of the palace, the less-agile princess slightly slower than her more skilled escort, but keeping up with too much effort. The duo sidled into the bazaar and the blonde watched with some interest as Bixlow demonstrated how she could help him pick pockets.

"Ok, so your job is to distract the mark, got it? Bump into 'em, make sure they're distracted, compliment them, stuff like that. Then just watch the master work." Lisanna rolled her eyes and smirked at him.

"So, like this?" She quickly stepped out into the bustling main avenue and ran smack into slender faced man beset in rich colorful robes and with jewelry hanging off him like fruit on a tree. She stumbled and "fell," causing the man to stop in concern.

"Milady, my deepest apologies!" He leaned over to help her up as Bixlow slipped out of the alley behind him. A couple seconds of rummaging and murmured apologies later, the duo slid back into the alleyway, giggling evilly and flushed with the excitement of a job well done.

"Wow…that actually worked!" Lisanna giggled and punched his arm playfully. "Guess you _are_ the best of the best."

"Ya know it." He replied smugly and dangled a fat coin purse and a large silver chain decorated with a sapphire pendant. "Check out the haul!" He tossed her the necklace as he opened the purse. "That'll match your crown thing real nice."

"Oh!" She squeaked, fumbling to catch it. "Thanks…I think."

"No prob Lis- Ooh, damn, this guy must've been carrying half his life savings…ya don't mind if I keep this do ya?" He gestured to the coin purse and the princess laughed.

"Of course you dummy. I'm royalty, remember? I don't need the money."

"Oh yeah…" Bixlow trailed off but suddenly perked up when he heard a _very_ familiar voice coming from further down the alley.

"Look, Erza, if it really was…well, y'know…who stole the Kazi's purse, there's no way we're gonna find him now."

"Jellal, you're a great guy, but will you **shut it** with the negativity!? It's not helping!"

The thief in question paled. "Oooooh shit…" He hissed as the implications of getting caught sunk into his counterpart.

"Mavis, Bix, we gotta get out of here."

"I heartily agree. Here, wear this." He yanked off his head scarf and handed it to her. "They already know my face, it won't help me any." The princess carefully but quickly put on the scarf and adjusted it to hide her hair and face.

"Ok…what's your plan?"

"Remember that night with the thugs? Yeah, we're gonna have to do that again." The blonde flushed and stuttered a little but couldn't come up with any other options.

"Well…I…oh, fine, crouch down a little!" The tall thief obeyed and once his partner was in place, quickly stood and jogged out into the main thoroughfare. As if on cue, Jellal and Erza stumbled out of the next alley way over and immediately caught sight of the two.

"Bixlow! Stop right there!" The redhead immediately charged towards him, callously running down the very man Bixlow had just robbed, as well as blowing through at least three separate stalls. Jellal took the long way around, but the look on his face told the thief he was _not_ to be trifled with.

"Uhh…no?" He shot back before bolting off away from the pursuers.

"Real smooth." He heard the blonde snort in his ear. "I'm sure she isn't even chasing us anymore."

"I've just about had enough of your sass." He joked back before hurdling a barricade some other guards had set up in his path and scrambling to the top of a small house, now with 6 furious guards on his tail. He jumped a gap and sprinted towards the palace.

. . .

Panting, the thief ducked back into Lisanna's bedroom and let her down. "Ok…quick…you gotta get out of those clothes."

"**What!?**" She spun around and stared at him, her face blazing red.

"Whoa, whoa! Erza's gonna come check on you and ya gotta look different, ok?" Fortunately, his face was already flushed from his city-wide sprint and she couldn't tell he was blushing as well.

"Oh…ok, go hide in the closet, I'll get changed quick." She tossed his headscarf back at him and darted into her room while Bixlow located and hid in the aforementioned closet. Sure enough, seconds after Lisanna sank into the couch in her new outfit, Erza literally kicked the door in and eyed the room suspiciously.

"Where is he?!" she demanded, and Lisanna responded with an impressive amount of surprise.

"Mavis, Erza, what the heck?!" She started and sat up as Jellal dutifully followed his captain into the room.

"Your Highness…Erza here is trying to locate the thief Bixlow, who she believes may be hidden in your room…for good reason, I may add."

"He…he's not here." She squeaked, wincing at how her charade was breaking down. "I-I don't know why you'd think that-"

"Your Grace, Bixlow was spotted with an accomplice tonight at the bazaar. Given your past…associations, we suspect that accomplice may have been you." Erza cut in coldly. "Now I don't have the authority to violate your orders, but trust me…I have my eyes on you."

The princess stuttered out excuses as the officers left her room, finally giving up as they yanked the door shut and Bixlow crept out from his hiding spot.

"Well…that went well…kinda."

Lisanna sighed. "This is gonna get a whole lot harder ya know. Now that they know."

"Yeah…" Bixlow sighed and slumped onto the couch next to her. "She's a determined one, the captain."

After hesitating a second, Lisanna scooted closer to the thief and gently leaned against his shoulder. "Well…for now…we should be ok…right?"

"For a little bit, yeah." He replied, glancing over at her, trying to come up with something to say. She suddenly cut him off.

"Well, before you go…thanks for everything Bix. I really enjoyed it." She looked over at him and bit her lip. "I know we won't be able to see each other for a while, so…" She hesitated before quickly kissing him on the cheek. "Take that with you." She got up and grinned at him. "Y'know, if you get into the wedding, I'll give you another one."

Bixlow smirked and stood. "I'll have to work on that then. Night Lis." He tumbled out the window before he could hear her response, but his mind was elsewhere.

He was gonna crash that wedding, no matter what.

**LOOK AT THAT AIN'T IT CUTE**

**I'M DYING OF HAPPINESS OMG**

**Fo' real though, this chapter is fave in so many ways xD**

**Keep an eye out for more updates…sometime soon. I hope. Pan out.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note- Haha, I return! Tis been a while, I know. Howeverrrr, I do have the excuse of having to work over break, and then moving into a new school, dorm, etc. But I do have some time now, so have some of Bixlow plotting hehe.**

**Chapter 13- The Scheme**

"Look Bixlow, it isn't possible! There's literally no way in!"

The man in question was pouring thoughtfully over a stack of blueprints and mock ups of the Royal Palace, trying to find a way to slip in. Cobra had been recruited to help, but he wasn't optimistic; the event was starting in a few short hours, and they'd yet to come up with a plan.

"I've done the impossible before…" he murmured, absorbed in his work.

"Picking the Sultan's pocket is a lot different from breaking into his damn home! On the day of his grandson's wedding no less! I can't be done, Bixlow, just admit it. The only way you survived the trip last time is cuz you had inside help, and I'm assuming that won't be happening again."

Bixlow sighed as he flipped through his set of plans for the fiftieth time. "Mavis, there's just too many damn guards…" he trailed off and blinked suddenly. "Wait…that's it! The guards!" He flipped madly through a set of notes. "Cobra, how easy do you think it'd be to get a guard's uniform?"

The man sputtered madly. "Are you fucking insane?! That's almost as impossible as breaking into the damn palace!"

"Almost…but not quite." Bixlow's confident smirk returned. "Ok, look. We can't steal one from the Mermaid division, as they're all chicks. The Fairy division is Erza's elites, there's no way we can touch them. But the Sabertooth division…" He threw his stack of blueprints off the table and spread out a map of the city. "There'll be a two-man patrol passing by the gate of the Stone district in…just over half an hour."

"You're actually going to do this." Cobra deadpanned. "You're certifiably crazy, you know that?"

"Maybe, but I also know what I'm doing. Now grab some of your paralysis crap, we're gonna get some uniforms."

"Oooh no, no, no, who's this 'we?'" Cobra cut in. "There's no way in hell I'm going along with this, Erza will literally skin us alive."

"Only if she catches us." Bixlow shot back, tossing the shorter man a mask. "And if there's one thing I know how to do, it's not getting caught. Now c'mon, we're running out of time."

. . .

Sting and Rogue were having a good night. The Sabertooth division, mostly comprised of newer recruits, usually ended up with the patrols in the lower, crime ridden districts, but so far it'd been uneventful.

"Maybe if nothin' else happens, we can go grab us a snack or somethin'." Sting pondered and his long-time partner rolled his eyes.

"What's with you and eating all the damn time?" Rogue muttered. "Just keep an eye open, something's bound to happen…"

He was right. No sooner had those words left his mouth when a small flask exploded on the ground in front of him, blasting the pair with a greenish gas that immediately paralyzed them both.

"Evening gentlemen." Bixlow greeted as he strolled out of the shadows, shortly followed by a nervous looking Cobra. "We're gonna need your clothes, Nothing personal."

A short while later, both guards had been bound to a gate in a dark back alley with their own handcuffs, and the two thieves were getting the feel of their new outfits.

"Mine's a lil short." Bixlow noted. "But I think it'll do. Now c'mon, we gotta get there before the ceremony's over or there'll be even **more** guards." The pair quickly set off towards the palace in the distance, hoping against hope that their ruse would work.

. . .

Lisanna glanced around the large ballroom anxiously. She'd been searching for a very particular someone all night, and too her disappointment she hadn't seen him. The reception had just started though, so maybe he'd show up soon. She wandered over to her sister to congratulate her.

"Mira, it was beautiful!" she gushed, hugging her sister excitedly. "Congratulations!" She turned to Laxus, quickly giving him a hug as well. "And congratulations to you too Laxus!"

The larger man grunted a reply in his traditionally gruff fashion, but he did crack a smile. Mira started teasing him about how he should smile more, and the younger blonde decided it was time to slip away.

"Milady, could you please come with me?" She started in surprise and spun around. A tall guardsman was standing right behind her, his arms crossed and looking quite imposing,

"W-what is this about?" She stammered, trying to assert some authority but her fear getting in the way.

"Nothing serious ma'am, but please come with me immediately." She bit her lip and nodded, following him out of the ballroom, past an equally stony-faced guard and into a connected courtyard. She glanced around, half expecting Jellal or Erza to pop out of a bush. They both seemed to have disappeared right after the ceremony…

"So why am I here?" She asked, a bit more confident when neither of them appeared. The guard in front of her smirked and flicked up his visor.

"Bixlow!" She squeaked in surprise. "H-how did you get that uniform?"

"Best ya didn't know." The thief replied with a smirk. "But the important thing is, I got in. And if I remember correctly…" He leaned down so he was level with her. "You owe me something."

The princess flushed bright red and stammered incoherently. "R-r-right here? N-now?"

"Well duh." Bixlow smirked confidently. "I didn't risk my life as a free man for nothin'." He turned his head and tapped his cheek with a finger. "C'mon now."

Lisanna hesitated, her blush growing darker as she fidgeted nervously. She reached out, hesitated for a second, took his face and turned it slightly before pressing her lips against his own.

She pulled away after a second, now flushed more with excitement then embarrassment. "There." She said softly. "Was that worth it?"

Bixlow, for the first time in his life, was struck speechless. "I-…Uh… y-yeah." He took a deep breath and tried to calm down a little. "Yeah, that was."

The princess smirked. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Oh shaddup you." He murmured, standing up and turning away. "I, uh…I should go. They're gonna catch on to me soon enough…" Lisanna bit her lip and nodded.

"Best Erza don't catch you. You can't visit me if you're locked up." She teased, still smirking. Bixlow stuck his tongue out at her.

"You don't even sound worried." He pointed out.

"I've learned you know what you're doing." She shot back, and the thief had to agree.

"Fair enough." He gave her a ridiculous bow. "Well, until we meet again m'lady!" The princess giggled and blew him a kiss as he gestured to the other guard and the pair quickly scaled the courtyard wall.

Lisanna sighed happily and made her way back into the party; inside, however, she knew that this tenuous relationship was…fragile, in more ways than one. But all she could do was hope.

. . .

"Erz- Captain, with all due respect, what the hell?!" Jellal whisper-shouted in the darkened hallway she had pulled him in to.

"Shut up." She hissed back, tugging him by the arm further from the ballroom until she was confident they were alone. She finally turned to face him.

"Look, Lieutenant…Jellal…" She sighed. "I've decided to end your suspension prematurely. You've done good work, and I think-"

"You didn't drag me into this back hallway just to tell me that, what's really going on?" Jellal countered, still confused.

The redhead sighed. "I…I really like you, alright? You're a good friend, a good coworker, and a good man. I guess what I really want to say is…" Jellal bit his lip and looked her over—she looked a lot more…vulnerable than usual. "Is…"

They were suddenly interrupted by another guard staggering around the corner, clearly exhausted. "Captain!" He panted. "We found…Sting and Rogue…tied in an alley…there's imposters in the palace!"

Erza immediately snapped back to business mode, pushing Jellal aside as she followed. The lieutenant followed, sighing inwardly. He'd have to find another quiet moment, ask her what she had been trying to say. For now, however, she was livid, and the man had a _very_ good idea who was responsible.

**Hehe, romantic development gives me the giggles xDD. Anyway, enjoy this extra long chapter of fluffiness!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Attention my readers**

**It is with a heavy heart that I'm announcing this hiatus. I'm currently pretty well fed up with the Fairy Tail fandom, through no fault of yours, and when combined with my current school situation I really don't have the time or motivation to update all my stories. I will continue updating War of Passion, albeit slowly, but my other active stories have kind of lapsed, and thus I'm putting them on hold.**

**I'm really sorry about this, as I know some of you really enjoy my writing (for some reason xD) but it's what I feel I have to do right now, and for that I deeply apologize.**

**I don't know when I'll be back, summer maybe.**


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